The stems are lined with fleshy oval leaves which are coated in white or yellowish hairs.

The fruit is an inflated legume pod in shades of dark red or brown which can be up to 2.5 centimeters in length and contains 18 seeds.

The largest population is located on private, unprotected land near Avon Park Lakes, a growing residential development.

[5] The plant was added to the endangered species list in 1993 along with other rare Florida species, including pigeon wings (Clitoria fragrans), a plant, and Florida perforate cladonia (Cladonia perforata), a lichen.

The plant's annual survival rate is apparently quite high but few seeds are produced and few of those germinate.

[5] Other conservation efforts underway include cryopreservation of shoot tips, but this plan is not supported by all involved biologists.